One good indicator of a great movie is if it flies by despite its lengthy runtime (2 hours and 43 minutes). Such is the case for Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, one of this year’s best (and most entertaining) films.
Written and directed by Anderson, the movie blends action, drama, comedy, and suspense wonderfully thanks to a solid script. The movie doesn’t let up. You get one riveting scene after another. It’s relentless from start to finish.
The movie opens with a revolutionary group called French75 breaking out people from an immigrant detention center. Explosives expert, Pat (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his partner, Perfidia Beverly Hills (Teyana Taylor) lead these ragtag idealists. They are organized, efficient, and unabashed with their methods. Their leader, Perfidia, is so bold she doesn’t care if their enemies know her full name. During the attack, she identifies herself to the person in charge, Col. Steven Lockjaw, whom she’s threatened and humiliated by asking him to force an erection at gunpoint.
This pivotal encounter will impact the lives of all three characters. As the group continues to attack courthouses and politicians’ headquarters, Lockjaw starts stalking Perfidia, until he corners her during one of the group’s missions. But instead of bringing her in, he arranges a meet and lets her walk out.
Soon, Perfidia and Pat welcome a baby girl, which changes Pat’s perspective in life. Perfidia, on the other hand, spirals into depression. Despite this development in their domestic life, the French75 still continues to carry out missions until one bank robbery went wrong. Perfidia’s capture soon led to the dismantling of the group and forced Pat and their daughter to go into hiding.
The movie’s pace keeps the audience glued to the screen. Everything happens swiftly. If you blink, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on something. The script doesn’t wallow too much on unnecessary events. It gives you just enough time to process whatever it is that just happened and then jostles you immediately to where you need to be.
But it doesn’t feel rushed at any point. Even though things unfold quite quickly, you can still relish each moment. Which leads me to another good indicator of a great movie: it makes you feel part of the moment. Although the French75 isn’t exactly law-abiding citizens, their ideals make sense to the audience. Somehow you view them as victims of an oppressive system who are trying to make the world a better place albeit their violent choices.
The sense of being part of the journey is felt more during the second act, where Pat, who now goes by Bob, tries to rescue her daughter, Willa (Chase Infiniti), who has been captured by the military. Everything that happens from this point on is an intense wild ride (not to mention hilarious, thanks to DiCaprio’s comedic bits).
Bob’s escape and rescue attempt for Willa were engrossing. You can feel the stakes when you see the characters race against time. The visuals are captivating, and complemented by a great score. There is one car chase scene on the rolling desert highway that’s masterfully executed it feels like you’re inside the one of the vehicles.
It goes without saying that DiCaprio is fantastic in his role. But what made him shine even more here is his ability to elicit laughs during intense moments. One notable scene shows him turning red in anger while trying to decipher a passcode. The entire exchange was so hilarious.
Funny bits like this are interspersed in different scenes, which, based on the reaction, the audience appreciate. In between the thrill of chase scenes or heavy moments, a line or choreography will lighten up the mood. But they don’t take away from what the scenes are trying to say.
What makes One Battle After Another so riveting is its themes. It mirrors a lot of what’s happening, not just in the United States, but in many other places in the world. The oppression and injustice that these characters experience reflect the plight of so many people. There’s some level of fear and concern when you realize that this is the truth for many. But you also soon realize that the defiance and resilience by these characters could be just as real.
One Battle After Another is now showing in cinemas.
